Lawrence

• The Lawrence City Commission approved a lease amendment allowing the Lawrence Public Library to build a donation-funded outdoor pavilion. →
• The Lawrence City Commission adopted a 10-year housing market study outlining strategic roadmaps to address local housing shortages. →
• The City of Lawrence launched public engagement efforts for its Vision 2030 strategic plan to gather community input through August. →
• The Douglas County Commission approved a temporary permit for a Southern Star gas pipeline construction laydown yard west of Lawrence. →
• Douglas County owes $9 million to KDOT for the delayed Wakarusa Drive extension project, which officials hope to start building in 2028. →
• Douglas County Public Works created a 30-year replacement strategy to address a backlog of deteriorating bridges constructed in the 1970s. →
• It's going to be a scorching hot Monday in Lawrence with plenty of sunshine and a high near 101°F, though heat index values could make it feel like a blistering 112°F.

🌾 Kansas

• Kansas's Aug. 4 primary enters its final week, with Tuesday, July 28, the deadline for voters to apply for an advance mail ballot amid ongoing litigation over the repealed three-day grace period. →

• Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett, a Republican, urged Kansans on Thursday to reject the Aug. 4 constitutional amendment that would switch the state to direct election of Supreme Court justices. →

• The Dickinson County Commission is expected to vote the week of July 27 on a three-year moratorium on data centers, alternative energy projects and battery storage, joining a wave of similar bans across Kansas. →

• Hays officials pegged the cost of the R9 Ranch water pipeline project for Hays and Russell at $120 million, pending Kansas Supreme Court and county zoning rulings. →

• Goodland hit a record 107 degrees Sunday as dangerous heat and worsening drought gripped Kansas, with more than 1,000 Evergy customers losing power near Kansas City. →

🇺🇸 US

• President Trump paused U.S. airstrikes on Iran for a second day as diplomacy resumed over Strait of Hormuz passage and officials warned of dwindling interceptor stockpiles. →

• The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to keep South Carolina as the first 2028 presidential primary contest, pending full committee ratification in August. →

• Four advanced reactor startups achieved criticality under a Department of Energy pilot program, beating President Trump's July 4, 2026 deadline. →

• SpaceX's Starship survived splashdown intact for the first time, giving engineers new data on its heat shield during the rocket's 13th test flight. →

• Tadej Pogačar won his fifth Tour de France title as wildfires forced organizers to shorten the race's final stage. →

Weather

JULY 27, 1949: FIRST COMMERCIAL JET MAKES TEST FLIGHT

On this day, the British De Havilland Comet, the world’s first jet‑propelled airliner, completed its maiden test flight in England. Powered by jet engines that allowed it to climb faster and fly higher than propeller planes, the Comet heralded a revolution in commercial air travel by dramatically cutting long-distance flight times.

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